Arron Afflalo will learn his All-Star fate on Thursday night

The Magic swingman is averaging career-bests of 20.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game

January 27, 2014|By Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel

The seeds for what Orlando Magic swingman Arron Afflalo is doing now were planted last April, when he met with coach Jacque Vaughn and general manager Rob Hennigan to discuss the areas they wanted him to improve on during the offseason.

Vaughn, especially, wanted Afflalo to focus on the mental side of the game, to stop forcing shots and to consistently find ways to make his teammates better.

"I don't know how many times I said 'efficiency' in the interview," Vaughn recalled recently. "And that's where he took his game in the offseason. The great thing about Arron is he will watch film. He will dissect his game. He will watch other players. He will do what's necessary to reach a certain level, and he worked on his game in the offseason."

It shows — and his efforts might earn him a spot on the Eastern Conference's All-Star team.

Afflalo began Monday ranked 15th in the NBA in scoring, averaging a career-high 20.4 points per game. He also has made 47.1 percent of his shot attempts, a clear sign that he's taking smart shots.

"Afflalo is about as underrated a player as there is in the NBA from the wing spot," New Orleans Pelicans coach Monty Williams said.

The days ahead will show just how highly regarded Afflalo is.

On Thursday night, the league will announce its All-Star reserves.

All 30 head coaches have been asked to vote for seven players within their conference: two guards, three frontcourt players and two others regardless of position.

Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade already have been selected by fans as the Eastern Conference starters. So Afflalo will be competing against a group of players that includes the Indiana Pacers' Lance Stephenson and the Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan.

The Magic's record, 12-33, which is second-worst in the NBA, could work against Afflalo. Then again, coaches may consider that opposing teams regularly focus on slowing Afflalo, sometimes double-teaming him.

"It's give or take," Afflalo said. "It's an opinionated type of thing. I do respect winning. I also respect the growth of individuals. Sometimes they go hand-in-hand. Sometimes they don't.

"But we'll see. Obviously, I have no control over the decision-making process on the coaches' behalf. If it's something that does happen, I'll greatly appreciate it. If not, it'll just be my duty to get better next year."

Afflalo is in his seventh NBA season, and his scoring average has increased each year.

But NBA players will tell you that it's infinitely more difficult to raise your scoring average from 16.5 points per game to 20.4 points per game, as Afflalo as done this season, than it is to improve from 4.9 points to 8.8 points per game, as he did from his second season to his third season.

Magic point guard Jameer Nelson, a former All-Star himself, hopes Afflalo will make the Eastern Conference team.

"He deserves it," Nelson said. "I'm going to continue to say it: He's one of the most efficient players I've been around. He picks his spots on the floor. He executes his game well. He's a guy who's gotten better every year."

All the talk about the All-Star Game, and his potential place in it, makes Afflalo a bit uncomfortable, especially as the Magic's losses have piled up in recent weeks.

"You have to be careful with that stuff," Afflalo said. "This is a team sport. So, if you get off into talking [about] too much individuality, it can be sensitive sometimes. Again, the coaching staff has given me a great opportunity. My teammates have done a good job of getting me the ball and playing with me and allowing me to excel. I'm very thankful for that.

"So, if it happens, great. If not, it's just another opportunity next year."

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and follow him on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins.